Congressional Memo; Departing Lawmakers Cost Congress Some of Its Dazzle

By CARL HULSE

Published: August 28, 2002

WASHINGTON, Aug. 27—
No one knows which party will control the House or Senate after the November elections, but one result is in: already out are some of the more outrageous, outspoken and polarizing characters of Congress.

Primaries in Georgia last week claimed the hard-core conservative Representative Bob Barr, a Republican who called for President Bill Clinton's impeachment even before his trouble with Monica Lewinsky, and Representative Cynthia A. McKinney, a confrontational liberal Democrat who first drew notice with her gold tennis shoes.

Representative James A. Traficant Jr., Democrat of Ohio, who typically ended his fiery floor speeches with a request to ''beam me up,'' was transported to federal prison after his conviction on corruption charges and subsequent expulsion from the House.

While some are happy to see them exit, former Senator Alan K. Simpson, a Republican from Wyoming who was known to deliver a potent punch line when in Congress, suggests there is a certain value in lawmakers who occasionally veer toward the outlandish.

''When you have spirited people, whether you agree with them or not, it adds a little yeast to the dough,'' Mr. Simpson said. ''In your country club, your church and business, about 15 percent of the people are screwballs, lightweights and boobs and you would not want those people unrepresented in Congress.''

The House is not alone in losing some of its more provocative members.

In the Senate, retirement will rob remaining lawmakers of the company of the conservative stalwarts Jesse Helms of North Carolina and Phil Gramm of Texas, two men noted for their hand-to-hand style of legislative combat, not to mention soon-to-be centenarian Strom Thurmond of South Carolina.

The departure of these and other figures who capture public attention and stand the Capitol on its ear will discernibly alter the personalities of the House and Senate, lawmakers, analysts and historians agree.

''It is going to be a change, no question about it,'' said Senator John B. Breaux, Democrat of Louisiana and a veteran of rough-and-tumble politics. ''It may make for a quieter place.''

Donald A. Ritchie, the associate Senate historian, said, ''When you have a change in personnel, it changes the chemistry.''

Analysts believe there could be a larger message in the muting of some Congressional voices, particularly in the case of the two Georgians, Mr. Barr and Ms. McKinney. In tense times, the analysts said, the public wants the combative rhetoric softened.

''They liked to take strong, uncompromising stands on very controversial issues, and that is what makes them newsworthy,'' said Merle Black, a political science professor at Emory University in Atlanta. ''But they just state opinions and positions rather than engaging in any kind of dialogue, and in the wake of 9/11, when we are at war, they are not viewed as solving problems.''

While the House members taking their leave are recognized for their partisanship and occasional outbursts, the retiring senators have some degree of a larger-than-life quality and are partisans known for being formidable legislators.

Mr. Thurmond, who will turn 100 in December, has served longer in the Senate than anyone, ran for president as a third-party candidate in 1948 and filibustered a civil rights bill for more than 24 hours in 1957. Now infirm, the life-long physical fitness advocate has to be helped by aides into the Senate office building. But after 48 years, he still casts his vote.

The combative Mr. Helms, who has been absent from the Senate for months because of health problems, was the architect of a personal foreign policy and a cagy opponent who was sometimes called Senator No.

Mr. Black said the willingness of the two Carolinians to challenge the Senate paid political dividends for years.

''They were willing to stand up for unpopular causes for what they viewed as principled decisions,'' he said. ''It helped them in their states, but they have been a great source of irritation in the Senate because they halted business.''

Mr. Gramm was a master of procedure as well, using the rules to block initiatives he opposed while spouting Texasisms and driving his legislative foes batty.

''He always had a good quip and talked about his momma and that guy down in Texas,'' said Mr. Breaux, referring to Mr. Gramm's frequent references to Dicky Flatt, a Texas businessman the senator used as an example of the impact of government regulation even when some of his own allies thought the device was tired.

One analyst said it was important to draw a distinction between the three senators, who have a legislative track record, and the House members who thrived mainly on controversy.

''Barr, McKinney and Traficant were colorful at the expense of the institution of which they were a part,'' said Thomas E. Mann, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution. ''They knew the shock value of their utterances and its capacity to attract a lot of press attention.''

Others who brought a unique view and style to Congress are leaving as well. Representative Dick Armey, Republican of Texas and the retiring House majority leader, salts his comments with references to country and western lyrics and at a House hearing told Hillary Rodham Clinton, when she was first lady, that ''reports of your charm are overstated.''

Senator Fred Thompson, Republican of Tennessee and another retiree, was well-known as an actor in feature films before his time in the Senate.

Representative Gary A. Condit, Democrat of California, lost his seat in an earlier primary after his involvement with the intern Chandra Ann Levy, whose body was found about a year after she disappeared, became the subject of an investigation.

Some other notables face difficult re-election campaigns.

James A. Thurber, director of the Center for Congressional and Presidential Studies at American University, said he hoped that the departure of some combative members helped inspire more good will in Congress.

''Perhaps it is wishful thinking,'' Mr. Thurber said, ''but it may bring back a little more civility and comity, at least swing it in the right direction.''

Plenty of politicians who chart their own course remain in both the House and Senate, and the analysts expect that some new arrivals will grow into the roles being vacated this year.

''It is crazy to bemoan the passage too long,'' Mr. Mann of the Brookings Institution said. ''Someone is going to take their place and probably be just as interesting.''

Mr. Ritchie, the Senate historian, agreed that ''younger members, given a little bit of time, develop their own style and color.''

''After all,'' he said, ''Strom has taken 50 years to develop into the character that he is.''

Photos (pg. A17) Chart: ''A Congress With Fewer Characters'' Political defeats and decisions to retire are removing several of the more colorful figures in Congress. REPRESENTATIVES BOB BARR Republican of Georgia, first elected 1994 Ardent conservative; best known for initiating an inquiry of impeachment against President Bill Clinton. CYNTHIA A. McKINNEY Democrat of Georgia, first elected 1992 Not afraid to ruffle feathers; questioned whether President Bush knew about Sept. 11 in advance. JAMES A. TRAFICANT Jr. Democrat of Ohio, first elected 1984 Known for fiery one-minute floor speeches; convicted for corruption; was expelled from the House last month. SENATORS JESSE HELMS Republican of North Carolina, first elected 1972 A major force in shaping foreign policy; through his posture of opposition, earned the nickname Senator No. PHIL GRAMM Republican of Texas, first elected to House 1978 and to Senate 1984 Ex-Democrat who helped pass Reagan budget cuts; master of procedural tactics and folksy quotes. STROM THURMOND Republican of South Carolina* Longest-serving senator ever; onetime foe of integration, he was first Southern senator to hire black staff members. *First appointed to the Senate as a Democrat in 1954 to complete an unexpired term. (Source: Almanac of American Politics 2002)(pg. A17)